Engine Cutting Out
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 3,835
Likes: 30
Engine Cutting Out
Greetings All,
Unusual Problem Here With My 1988. I Have Replaced Plugs, Electronic Ignition Modual, Cap, Rotor, Added Injector Cleaner, Dry Gas, Plugs.
It Seems That When My Car Gets To Be Just Above 1/4 Tank Of Fuel, It Wants To Cut Out And Momentarily Die While Driving, Especially Making Turns.
When It Gets Lower Then That, "sloshing" Of The Gas In The Tank Can Make The Car Sputter. I Am Using Decent Cas, Nothing Appears To Be Wrong With The Guage(s), Etc.when The Tank Is Above 1/4 Filled, Say 1/2 Or Better, The Car Runs Fine.
Any Ideas As To What Could Be The Culprit?
Unusual Problem Here With My 1988. I Have Replaced Plugs, Electronic Ignition Modual, Cap, Rotor, Added Injector Cleaner, Dry Gas, Plugs.
It Seems That When My Car Gets To Be Just Above 1/4 Tank Of Fuel, It Wants To Cut Out And Momentarily Die While Driving, Especially Making Turns.
When It Gets Lower Then That, "sloshing" Of The Gas In The Tank Can Make The Car Sputter. I Am Using Decent Cas, Nothing Appears To Be Wrong With The Guage(s), Etc.when The Tank Is Above 1/4 Filled, Say 1/2 Or Better, The Car Runs Fine.
Any Ideas As To What Could Be The Culprit?
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 114
Likes: 0
From: Colorado Springs CO
Has the car always done that? Where do you live? What grade of gas? Sounds like the pickup is too high in the tank, don't know how that could have happened...Maybe the gauge is incorrect, it says that you have 1/4 tank when you really have almost no gas, and 1/2 tank is really 1/4 tank.
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 3,835
Likes: 30
Engine Cutting Out
Originally Posted by BillWelter
Has the car always done that? Where do you live? What grade of gas? Sounds like the pickup is too high in the tank, don't know how that could have happened...Maybe the gauge is incorrect, it says that you have 1/4 tank when you really have almost no gas, and 1/2 tank is really 1/4 tank.
I BOUGHT THE CAR ABOUT A MONTH AGO. IT WAS VERY WELL MAINTAINED WITH ALL THE PAPERWORK. AT ONE POINT I INTENTIALLY RAN THE TAK AS LOW AS I COULD GET IT SO THAT THE "RESERVE FUEL" LIGHT WOULD LIGHT ON THE DASH. THIS OBVIOUSLY WOULD BE A LOT LOWER THAN A 1/4 TANK AS I STATED EARLIER.
I DON'T THINK THE GRADE OF GAS HAS ANYTHING TO TO WITH IT. I LIVE IN ORLANDO FLORIDA AND ONE OF THE 1ST THINGS I DID WAS TO BE SURE THAT THER WAS NO WATER IN THE TANK. THAT IS WHY I RAN SEVERAL CONTAINERS OF INJECTOR CLEANER AND DRY GAS THROUGH THE TANK.
ALL THE SERVICE PAPERWORK IS HERE WITH THE CAR AND THERE IS NO INFORMATION RELATING TO ANY PROBLEM WITH THE TANK, FLOAT,ETC..
THE GUAGE ALSO APPEARS CORRECT AS IT, AS STATED ABOVE,WAS ABLE TO INDICATE A RESERVE STATUS.
I AM UNSURE HOW TO CHECK THE FLOAT LEVEL IN THE TANK AND I SURE AS HECK DON'T WANT TO DROP THE TANK TO DO IT.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 8,596
Likes: 19
From: Portland Oregon
Originally Posted by Da Mail Man
GREETINGS AND THANKS FOR REPLY.
I BOUGHT THE CAR ABOUT A MONTH AGO. IT WAS VERY WELL MAINTAINED WITH ALL THE PAPERWORK. AT ONE POINT I INTENTIALLY RAN THE TAK AS LOW AS I COULD GET IT SO THAT THE "RESERVE FUEL" LIGHT WOULD LIGHT ON THE DASH. THIS OBVIOUSLY WOULD BE A LOT LOWER THAN A 1/4 TANK AS I STATED EARLIER.
I DON'T THINK THE GRADE OF GAS HAS ANYTHING TO TO WITH IT. I LIVE IN ORLANDO FLORIDA AND ONE OF THE 1ST THINGS I DID WAS TO BE SURE THAT THER WAS NO WATER IN THE TANK. THAT IS WHY I RAN SEVERAL CONTAINERS OF INJECTOR CLEANER AND DRY GAS THROUGH THE TANK.
ALL THE SERVICE PAPERWORK IS HERE WITH THE CAR AND THERE IS NO INFORMATION RELATING TO ANY PROBLEM WITH THE TANK, FLOAT,ETC..
THE GUAGE ALSO APPEARS CORRECT AS IT, AS STATED ABOVE,WAS ABLE TO INDICATE A RESERVE STATUS.
I AM UNSURE HOW TO CHECK THE FLOAT LEVEL IN THE TANK AND I SURE AS HECK DON'T WANT TO DROP THE TANK TO DO IT.
I BOUGHT THE CAR ABOUT A MONTH AGO. IT WAS VERY WELL MAINTAINED WITH ALL THE PAPERWORK. AT ONE POINT I INTENTIALLY RAN THE TAK AS LOW AS I COULD GET IT SO THAT THE "RESERVE FUEL" LIGHT WOULD LIGHT ON THE DASH. THIS OBVIOUSLY WOULD BE A LOT LOWER THAN A 1/4 TANK AS I STATED EARLIER.
I DON'T THINK THE GRADE OF GAS HAS ANYTHING TO TO WITH IT. I LIVE IN ORLANDO FLORIDA AND ONE OF THE 1ST THINGS I DID WAS TO BE SURE THAT THER WAS NO WATER IN THE TANK. THAT IS WHY I RAN SEVERAL CONTAINERS OF INJECTOR CLEANER AND DRY GAS THROUGH THE TANK.
ALL THE SERVICE PAPERWORK IS HERE WITH THE CAR AND THERE IS NO INFORMATION RELATING TO ANY PROBLEM WITH THE TANK, FLOAT,ETC..
THE GUAGE ALSO APPEARS CORRECT AS IT, AS STATED ABOVE,WAS ABLE TO INDICATE A RESERVE STATUS.
I AM UNSURE HOW TO CHECK THE FLOAT LEVEL IN THE TANK AND I SURE AS HECK DON'T WANT TO DROP THE TANK TO DO IT.
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 3,835
Likes: 30
Engine Cutting Out
Originally Posted by tjwong
You won't have to drop the tank. Removing the tank sending unit and pump assembly is one of the easiest things to do in a C4. Just remove the fuel door and the rubber spill booty. Then that will expose the sending unit, it will look like a large rectangular flange. Disconnect the hoses, and remove the 10 or 12 10mm bolts around the perimeter, then gently lift it out. You will have to replace the gasket which is available at most any Chevrolet dealer or from NAPA. If I were you I would double check the float assembly, and the position of the fuel pick up, it seems that if the fuel sloshes around the pump starts to cavitate which causes your problem.
A ROUND OF DRINKS FOR EVERYONE! I THOUGHT I HAD TO DROP THE TANK OR SOMETHING! WHEN REMOVING THE DOOR AND SENDING UNIT, WON'T THERE BE A LARGE LOSS OF FUEL. I MEAN TO SAY THAT, THE PUMP AND SENDING UNIT IS MOUNTED THAT HIGH IN A C-4?
IS THERE AN ADJUSTMENT OR SIMILAR ON THE "PICK-UP" DEPTH IN THE TANK? I STILL BELIEVE THAT THE SENDER IS OK FOR REASONS STATED ABOVE. HOWEVER, IT DOES MAKE SENSE THAT THE PUMP WOULD CAVITATE IF, FOR SOME REASON, NOT DEEP ENOUGH IN THE TANK.
NOW, ARMED WITH ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION YOU CAN GIVE ME, ALL I HAVE TO DO IS CHANGE THE "SOCK", GET A GASKET, DISCONNECT THE BATTERY, AND WATCH LIKE HECK FOR SPARKS! THANK YOU VERY VERY MUCH!
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 6,130
Likes: 2
From: seattle WA
This problem has been posted so many times-it comes down to a faulty guage, you don't have the fuel you think you have. But if you're going in, make sure you check and CLEAN all the contacts. 
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 3,835
Likes: 30
Engine Cutting Out
No, I Don't Think It Is The Guage(s)......if That Was So, Performance Would Be Horrible And I Would Be Getting 3 Miles To The Gallon...will Eventually Pull The Pump And Examin Bot It And The Connectors........maybe Even Replace The Pump And Fuel Filter........
Safety Car
Joined: May 1999
Posts: 3,651
Likes: 5
From: Atlantis
Cruise-In I Veteran
The float is on a 'bendable' arm. The last guy that changed it probably let the arm get bent and now when you are at almost no fuel it's indicating 1/4 of a tank.
This is an easy fix. On a scale of 1 to 10 this is a 3.5.
This is an easy fix. On a scale of 1 to 10 this is a 3.5.
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Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 3,835
Likes: 30
Engine Cutting Out
Originally Posted by VetNutJim
The float is on a 'bendable' arm. The last guy that changed it probably let the arm get bent and now when you are at almost no fuel it's indicating 1/4 of a tank.
This is an easy fix. On a scale of 1 to 10 this is a 3.5.
This is an easy fix. On a scale of 1 to 10 this is a 3.5.
I THINK YOU ARE RIGHT AS I HAVE BEEN THINKING THE SAME THING. IS THE ARM SUPPOSED TO BE BENT TO "REACH" THE BOTTOM OF THE TANK OR BETTER YET, IS THERE A SET "STANDARD" IF IT IS TO BE BENT AT ALL OR JUST DOES IT GO RIGHT IN?........THANKS!